The Wager
by ArtsyPaige
Summary: Xibalba fell in love with La Muerte first. He hopes that a wager will bring them together. Will he succeed?
1. Chapter 1

La Muerte had no idea what Xibalba was doing, but was convinced that it was no good. Each day, he would try to impress La Noche by some means. He never succeeded in any of these attempts, leaving something to laugh at the end of the day. But yet he continued without fail, to think of ways to win the heart of La Noche.

Of course there could have been other reasons as well. La Noche was, without a doubt, beautiful. She _is_ the twin sister of La Muerte, so there was no denying that. And she ruled her own land, just as La Muerte did.

But unfortunately, through his many failed attempts to gain La Noche, she had grown a little egotistical about the whole matter. "It's **so** entertaining how Xibalba tries to pursue me with no success." La Noche noted to her sister, on one of their days out and about. They had decided to walk among the streets of San Angel, passing through their cemetery. They were talking about their respective lands and what sort of things have been going on when suddenly, the subject of Xibalba came up. "Sister, _please_ stop playing with the affections of poor Xibalba." La Muerte asked of La Noche. Even someone as cruel as Xibalba, doesn't deserve to have his emotions played with. "Are you joking? With Xibalba "in love" with me, he's been too distracted to torture mortals! Or terrorize those forgotten in his land. You of _all people,_ should be glad I've put a stop to his reign of terror."

La Muerte paused for a moment. What La Noche spoke of was true. Why should she interfere? Obviously, everyone seemed happier off with Xibalba pursuing La Noche. Even La Noche was beginning to enjoy the attention. But she just couldn't shake off the feeling that Xibalba was planning _something_.

"It still would be nice if a _gentleman _would court you so earnestly." La Muerte continued with. Scoffing, La Noche barked back, "Like El Chamuco, _right?"_ La Muerte could barely hold back the growl. "_Not like __**that**__ La Noche..."_ Rolling her eyes, La Noche, walked a little bit faster. Xibalba had shown up again.

He wore a very ghoulish grin on his face. "_Ladies..."_ He began with. "Not **another attempt** Xibalba..." La Noche started of with, before a raised, gloved hand stopped her. "Now, now, La Noche, I know my many attempts to win your affection have failed before but **this** time I'm sure..." "Yes well, no thank you." And with that, she flashed herself to her realm in an instant, leaving La Muerte and Xibalba by themselves.

Sighing, La Muerte, with half-effort, gave him a respectful bow. "Hello Xibalba, ruler of the Land of the Forgotten." And looked back up, almost expecting him not to be there at all. (It wouldn't be the first time.) But he was still there. He was standing very still, it seemed, wide-eyed, and staring directly at La Muerte. She was confused by his sudden stiffness. When she reached out to nudge him, he jumped back, almost as if she had tried to attack him. Eyes still wide, and wings sprung out to life, he was gone in an instant.

La Muerte tried to make sense of exactly what had happened.

* * *

><p>Xibalba was in his lair. Breathing heavily, practically gasping for air, heart thumping incredibly fast, even for godly standards. He wasn't sure what had happened in him. One second he was looking at La Muerte, ruler of the Land of the Remembered, twin sister of La Noche. Occasionally annoying to him, and even down right <em>stubborn<em>. And the next, he was looking at the most _beautiful goddess_ in all the realms. Her beautiful white shimmering skin, the fire in her eyes that seemed hot enough to burn even the hottest of volcanos. The way she spoke, the way she moved. Shaking his head, he tried to get the visions of La Muerte's smile and her wonderful sugar-skull candy skin out of his mind. It was difficult, but he managed.

Backing up into a wall, Xibalba slid carelessly and struck the floor.

In all of his existence, he has never felt this way for a creature. It was such a pure feeling, pure **ecstasy**. The look of her face, the feel of her skin. Absolutely _everything,_ was wonderfully flawless of her entire being. What had caused this sudden change? Surely that one glance at La Muerte couldn't have spiraled into this emotional **madness...** Could it? Or was it, perhaps, just how he had _always_ felt for her, and only now did he realize just how much he had unconsciously loved her from afar.

_La Muerte_.

Oh, just saying her name was sweet, _sweet_ music to his ears. He wanted to hug her, to kiss her, to have her so _close_ to him, it hurt. And he wasn't sure **how,** but he would win the heart of the wonderful La Muerte. No matter what.

And thus a plan was born. A truly ill-conceived, desperate plan in the attempt to win the heart of La Muerte. He made a bet with her.

Now, of course, Xibalba was not one to be utterly blunt with his feelings first hand. It took him many weeks, months, almost _years_ to persuade himself to give this plan a try before it was too late. He wasn't exactly sure how he would be able to put it gently to La Muerte that he found her to be the most beautiful woman ever to be created without the likely chance of her being completely put off. But he soon found out that she was not one to turn down a bet. No matter how foolish or completely rigged it may have seemed.

"How about a littler wager?" Xibalba asked, after he practically poured his heart out to La Muerte. She didn't seem at all disgusted, but much more surprised that he felt this way for her (which was a complete relief on his part). The corner of her mouth twitched up, revealing in that moment, her love for a good bet. "What kind of wager do you have in mind, _Balbi?"_ She asked him, grinning as he winced at the childish nickname she had given him when they first met.

"I bet that I can win your heart. Of course, if we spent some, _quality time,_ together." Xibalba said, hinting, and raised a single eyebrow. La Muerte merely rolled her eyes. "Fine, then I bet I will _not_ fall in love with you." She said earnestly. "If you win, then I will marry you." She said, which caused Xibalba's wings to pop out. "But if I win... then, you will stop torturing the mortals, or at least not as harshly as you did before." She said with a smirk, as Xibalba's smile turned into a harsh glare. She only winked, which he was taken back by, as he contemplated on the stakes.

Playing with the mortals were some of his **favorite** pastimes. To think that he would have to restrain himself... It was almost enough to make him call it off. But, shaking his head, he couldn't lose this one chance to have La Muerte love him as much as he had grown to love her. With a shake of their hands, the wager was set.

* * *

><p>Now it would only be appropriate, that by this time, La Noche had taken an interest in Xibalba, herself. She was actually a little flattered by how much he had tried to pursue her after all this time. And was willing to marry him, if he proposed. But alas, he never did. He had fallen in love with her sister. At first, the news of Xibalba and La Muerte's bet that had received much talk over the realms far above and below had almost angered her.<p>

How **dare** he! He bothered her for so _long,_ only to have given up, trying to take La Muerte instead? This was almost enough to make La Noche lose her dinner. But thinking it over, she had to admit that with all of the rejections she had given him, it was only a matter of _time_ before he would have grown tired and wanted to find someone new. **But his sister?** Of all the goddesses he could have picked on, he chose to bother **her?**

La Noche couldn't stand the thought of La Muerte stuck with that god. She tried to reason with her. "La Muerte! _Listen to me!_ You can't fall in love with him! How can a man just decide he wants someone who happens to **look** exactly like a person he once loved?" La Muerte only rolled her eyes, "La Noche, I don't plan on falling in love. If I win, then he won't be able to simply kill mortals again." She said, trying to reassure La Noche it would **never** happen. "I can promise you that I won't lose this bet."


	2. Chapter 2

But that was the funny thing about life though. You can't plan out how everything will work.

It was slow, but La Muerte did eventually warm up to Xibalba, even if it was just as friends in the beginning. They talked about many things that went on in their realms. Xibalba found that he could talk to her, and listen to what she said as well. Something he wouldn't usually do. He was more of a bragger, and wanted people to be impressed in what he had. But La Muerte was different, she wasn't impressed by how much gold and jewelry he had, or cared for the size of his land. She only cared to talk about themselves. On how they felt on certain subjects, their opinions. This made conversation, intellectually stimulating.

As much as that sort of thing would usually bore him, he found himself, _wanting_ to listen to every word that came out of La Muerte's mouth. It was almost as if an invisible force willed him to. She was so different from some of the more, narcissistic gods and goddesses he knew, himself included.

And days on end, La Muerte would appear in his mind, causing a genuine pleased smile to appear on his face. Occasionally, the frightened and sad souls who passed by Xibalba, would notice this undeniable happy look, rather than his gruesome, sharp-tooth smile, and stood there, wondering if some disease had taken over their powerful, and frightening ruler. When Xibalba finally took notice to them, he roared and stood high, wings spread to make himself look bigger, as these sad souls scampered away.

He would then try to compose himself properly. He didn't want to be frazzled when he went out again for yet another "date" with La Muerte. And yet he couldn't help but smile helplessly again.

With La Noche, he had only been interested in her for her looks, _and_ the promise of gaining power in the Land of the Unknown. She was like him in some ways and yet he falls for the one who always contradicted him and had the opposite opinion on almost _everything._

* * *

><p>La Muerte on the other hand, was indifferent. She was certain she didn't have feelings for Xibalba. No matter what everyone warned her. Some say that it was the course of life, fate would bring the two together. Others figured that he would cheat by poisoning her with a love potion or spell. La Muerte took no notice to their ideas. She believed that she would remain the same as she always had been, and turn the fearsome Xibalba into a much kinder god.<p>

Then on one fateful picnic the two had taken to a high hill in the Land of the Remembered, the two talked, as always.

"La Muerte, you look just as beautiful as you always do." XIbalba complimented.

"Thank you." La Muerte said, as Xibalba tried to move his hand towards hers. She smiled to herself, allowing, just this once, for him to hold her hand.

She chuckled as she felt Xibalba tremble a bit, by just touching her. She turned her face to look at his when something strange struck her. His red-skulls for pupils were piercing into her yellow-sun eyes. They stared at one another for what seemed like ages. She just couldn't look away. Then suddenly, her heart began fluttering in her chest, her neck was heating up, and yet she couldn't stop looking into his beautiful red eyes…

Then something within her changed. It was almost as if a lion that was hiding before launching itself and attacking prey, La Muerte saw Xibalba in a whole new light. He was just a trickster to her, an old god who didn't know how to behave. And then suddenly, he seemed like the most charming man she had ever met.

He was rather all bark and _some_ bite. Yes, he was fearsome and cruel, but to her, he was rather… sweet and kind. With this new development, she knew that she had fallen, undoubtedly, in love.

She shot up suddenly, startling Xibalba, who had no idea what was wrong.

Stammering beyond recognition, La Muerte made any lame excuse she could, "I-I'm sorry Xibalba but I-I have duties I have to attend to. I'm very sorry." and with that, she was gone in a flash to her chambers.

Just as Xibalba had done when he first realized he was in love, La Muerte was breathing fast, trying to calm her heart before it exploded. Putting her hands to her face she shook her head over and over again. With a groan, she fell onto her bed. This wasn't supposed to happen! She wasn't supposed to fall in love! And yet, just the thought of Xibalba made her heart beat rapidly. She couldn't believe this.

She almost contemplated that Xibalba actually gave her some kind of love potion or spell, but she hadn't eaten or drunken anything. They had barely gotten up the hill and sat down.

Taking some deep breaths, she sighed. She had lost this bet. Though now that she thought about it, the stakes didn't seem_ so_ bad after all. Marrying him wouldn't be the end of the world. But she knew that if it were just up to them, they probably would have gotten married anyway, wager or no wager.

She couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p>News of La Muerte losing the bet spread far and wide. The wedding was announced shortly after, and La Noche was <strong>furious.<strong> She just _knew_ this would happen! How could it be avoided? It seemed as though the fates themselves were working against her. If she didn't think of something fast, Xibalba and La Muerte would be man and wife.

Then came along El Chamuco. He was a handsome man no doubt, but not the brightest of gods or even that powerful. He didn't even have his own land to rule over. He may not have understand much, but he knew what jealously was, and that was exactly how he felt towards to old god made of tar. In a completely hopeless plan to stop their relationship, La Noche and El Chamuco got married as well.

But this plan was a complete failure when La Muerte was utterly happy with La Noche being married, even if it was to El Chamuco. She even congratulated them herself, showing no remorse, no jealously for the two. La Noche knew she had lost. And now she was _stuck_ with El Chamuco, who oddly enough, developed feelings for her.

It took a good century before La Noche softened up, and confessed she liked _el burro_ too.

* * *

><p>In the end, Xibalba and La Muerte wed. They were quite happy together for a long, <em>long<em> time. Of course, until the unfortunate events of what appeared to be La Noche and Xibalba having an affair. La Muerte had him banished to stay in the Land of the Forgotten for eons. Of course that hadn't meant she hated him, but was heart broken.

It took many tries on Xibalba's account for La Muerte to forgive him. She eventually did, but he was still stuck to rule the Land of the Forgotten. Then his last try to win back La Muerte and to rule over the Land of the Remembered, when he bet on those kids. Even _cheating_ hadn't helped him win. She was livid by that fact that Xibalba cheated, _again. _Showing as much fury as the first time when he cheated on a bet of theirs.

In the end, he lost this bet, but gained back La Muerte, his _mi amor_. Which was more valuable than anything he could have ever hoped for.


End file.
